In comments to reporters at the White House, the president said that in his "opinion," the book's scheduled release of Sept. 11 was deliberately timed by publisher Simon & Schuster to interfere with Senate procedures.

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"The book means nothing, it's a work of fiction," Trump told reporters Wednesday. "If you look at it, it was put out to interfere, in my opinion, interfere with the Kavanaugh hearings, which I don't think it's done."

"Because so many people have come out against it," he continued. "So many people that have been written about, said 'I never said that' [in response to quotes in Woodward's book.]"

Both Mattis and Kelly have denied quotes attributed to them. Woodward says he stands by his reporting.

The president continued to offer praise for Kavanaugh on Wednesday amid the nominee's second day of hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee, which have been often interrupted by protests from left-leaning activists.

"The others side is grasping at straws and really the other side should embrace him."

Kavanaugh's questioning from senators on the committee began Wednesday morning after a day of opening statements.

The judge was nominated in July following the late-June announcement of Justice Anthony Kennedy's retirement. Kavanaugh is Trump's second nominee to the high court following Neil Gorsuch's successful confirmation last year.